Thornton corners a job with 49ers

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, November 13, 2005

Thornton is just the type of player that coach Mike Nolan wants on his team. A castoff from the Cowboys after Dallas released him Sept. 8, the humble son of a fireman from Le Grange, Ga., Thornton spent 13 days unemployed before the 49ers signed him to their practice squad.

He was then promoted after Ahmed Plummer, who signed a contract with an $11 million signing bonus before last season, elected to have surgery on his bothersome left ankle. Plummer has missed six games and now, when he does return, he'll do so as Thornton's backup.

Nolan mentions Thornton as an example of why the coach is optimistic about the future of his 2-6 team, which plays the Bears today in Chicago.

"It's hard not to say that we haven't identified some very good, young players," Nolan said. "Bruce Thornton is a good example."

It seems typical of Nolan to promote a hard-working relative no-name over Plummer, who has missed 15 of 24 games since signing his five-year deal. And Nolan seems adamant that Plummer will have to earn his job from Thornton, who will make his fifth NFL start today.

Plummer, who has never played special teams as a professional, may be forced to do so.

"If he's in that role, he'll find his way onto special teams doing something," Nolan said. "That's what he'll have to do. Otherwise, he'll be in street clothes."

Thornton proved himself in his first start Oct. 9, when he held All-Pro wide receiver Marvin Harrison to a pair of catches for 17 yards.

Harrison, who likes to adjust his route when he's in tight coverage, simply couldn't shake Thornton, who at the University of Georgia often took the best receiver.

Of course Thornton's smothering of Harrison could have been an aberration. But since then, Thornton has been fairly consistent, including last week's performance against another top-flight wide receiver, Plaxico Burress.

The favorite target for emerging Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Burress was held to five receptions for 79 yards, with 50 yards coming on one memorable reception.

Manning pumped to Burress while he ran a slant route, then Burress streaked down the field with Thornton by his side. While stride-for-stride, Burress used his 6-foot-5 frame to leap over the 5-10 Thornton. Burress still needed to make a juggling, one-handed catch while Thornton pestered him.

Only in his second year, Thornton sounded like an old pro comparing Harrison and Burress.

"Marvin is more of a route runner, a fast guy," Thornton said. "Burress is more physical, he has a presence."

Even though everything is going well for Thornton, he didn't expect to be playing cornerback while he was dreaming of the NFL at La Grange High.

But once he was on campus in Athens, the 180-pound Thornton couldn't break through at running back. That's when secondary coach and defensive coordinator Willie Martinez pounced on him.

Martinez told the offensive coaches that he wanted Thornton to be a cornerback and the coaches reluctantly agreed under the condition that Thornton start.

"When I first moved to corner, it was kind of rough. You have your good plays and bad plays," Thornton said.

Soon he was the Bulldogs' best cover man, playing the demanding "boundary" corner -- a position that typically opposes the best receiver. Thornton held his own against SEC talents such as LSU's Michael Clayton. The Cowboys took him in the fourth round of last year's draft and he mostly played special teams before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee on Oct. 10. After recovering in the offseason, Thornton failed to survive the final cut this summer.

But that allowed Thornton to fall to Nolan, who believes Thornton is the rarest of corners. Even though Thornton has only played the position for five seasons, he already is trying to bait receivers.

"That's pretty good because most of the players I've been around -- there are a lot of guys that played eight or ten years and still don't know that -- just play on their God-given talents," Nolan said. "The fact that Bruce is utilizing some of those little things is pretty neat."

Thornton could be in for some rough times ahead. Most young cornerbacks struggle. But for now, he just hopes to go from game to game quietly, hoping the opposition doesn't get to know him too well.

"Just try to ease on through," Thornton said in his Georgia drawl. "That's the best way, so they don't see you coming."

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